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| Surviving Armed Assaults: A Martial Artists Guide to Weapons, Street Violence, and Countervailing Force | 
 enlarge | Author: Lawrence A. Kane
Creator: Loren W. Christensen
Publisher: YMAA Publication Center
Category: Book
List Price: $24.95
Buy New: $10.99
You Save: $13.96 (56%)
New (26) Used (11) from $9.85
Avg. Customer Rating:  15 reviews
Sales Rank: 204574
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 360
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.4
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 6.9 x 1.2
ISBN: 1594390711
Dewey Decimal Number: 613.66
EAN: 9781594390715
ASIN: 1594390711
Publication Date: September 1, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
This groundbreaking book teaches essential survival skills that can keep you safe on the street, covering awareness, avoidance, de-escalation, countervailing force, armed conflict, aftermath of violence, and weapon features/functions. A variety of scenarios help readers internalize this knowledge. Experienced martial artists, street-savvy professionals, and everyone in-between can benefit from this information.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 10 more reviews...
Commonsense Approach! June 27, 2008
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
Surviving Armed Assaults is so well written that it is excellent reading for anyone who is concerned about personal safety in today's turbulent world. Frank, no-nonsense information with much emphasis on preventing assaults in the first place makes this book exceptional. Although this book assumes the reader is already practicing one of the martial arts, it also offers an incentive to anyone who might be considering this option.
Outstanding book on self-defense! October 21, 2007
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
I will admit that I started reading this book a bit biased toward it being good. I have read other books by Kane that I enjoyed, I've contributed a chapter, as did Kane, to Loren Christensen's "Fighter's Fact Book 2" and Christensen wrote a Foreword for the book, and to top if off, best selling author Barry Eisler mentioned me in his praise for the book on the inside cover. So yes, I expected it to be a good book and one that I would like.
However, what I did not expect is how good it really is and how much excellent material Kane offers in this one volume. Because of the things mentioned in the first paragraph, one could easily say I am biased, and maybe I am a bit. With that said, I am writing a review and endorsing this book wholeheartedly because it is an exceptional addition to anyone's self-defense library and a book that has potential to save lives if people read it and listen to Kane's advice.
The first chapter is on awareness, a topic I also write and speak about, so I was especially interested in what Kane had to say. So what does he do? He starts the chapter off with a quote from Ani DiFranco, "Any tool is a weapon if you hold it right." This grabbed my attention because I once headed the local security for a concert of hers and had a very good talk about penjak silat with her bodyguard as we waited for her to change so we could walk her to the bus. It means nothing to anyone else, but hooked me. I continued and was fully engrossed with the statistics and examples Kane provided relating to violence. Reading those made me glad that there are those of us out here doing what we can to prevent violence and teach people to avoid or deal with it if necessary. Something Kane's "Surviving Armed Assaults" does very well. Kane did an excellent job with his chapter on awareness, and even though he teaches a modified color code a bit differently than I teach, I believe this chapter should be read by everyone in order to wake up and be more aware so they could avoid many potentially dangerous situations.
Speaking of avoidance, that was the focus of chapter two. Kane not only makes a great argument of why you should avoid violence, but provides strategies to do so. He follows this with a chapter on scenarios that extends the awareness and avoidance topics to situations such as car jackings, cash machine safety, hostage situations, sexual assault, rape, workplace violence and more. Before dealing with physical responses, Kane focuses on de-escalation strategies in chapter four. This is an often overlooked aspect of self-defense books and a welcome and needed addition here. Many self-defense books focus on striking and kicking and forget that if you can talk your way out of a situation you will be much better off than having fought your way out. Kane gives some excellent advice with his de-escalation strategies and I again wish everyone would learn these. One of the reasons a person is much better off by de-escalating a situation is because of the potential legal ramifications that may follow a physical altercation. As an attorney, I am very familiar with such things, and feel that Kane did a good job with his chapter on countervailing force that included legal considerations.
The remaining chapters focus on armed conflict, rules to live by, the aftermath of violence, and weapon features and functions. Some of the information in these chapters is biased toward Kane's karate training. Practitioners from other styles may not benefit from these chapters as much as the first ones, but I would encourage everyone to take even the karate parts and look how the principles behind what Kane teaches applies to their own art or self-defense system. (Kane's nine rules could apply to any art or system)
This is an excellent book filled with practical and realistic information related to weapons and violence. There is researched data and personal anecdotes that support Kane's perspectives on violence and his illustrations of real violence and what to do about it, or most importantly, how to be aware of it and avoid it altogether. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to martial artists and anyone interested in self-defense.
Reviewed by Alain Burrese, J.D., author, speaker
Hard-Won Wisdom From The School of Hard Knocks, Hapkido Hoshinsul, Streetfighting Essentials, Hapkido Cane, and The Lock On Joint Locking series
A virtual cornucopia of self-defense wisdom! May 29, 2007
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
WOW! That is how I would describe the well organized, well thought out, cornucopia of information that is presented in Lawrence A. Kane's, "Surviving Armed Assault: A Martial Artist's Guide to Weapons, Street Violence, & Countervailing Force." I've had this book for awhile now and have, on several different occasions, sat down and skimmed through different sections when time permitted. Just recently however, I was able to sit down and read this book from cover to cover, and boy let me tell you that I was thoroughly impressed with what I read.
Lawrence does a terrific job of organizing the information presented in this book in a very easy to read and follow format that takes you through each step in the survival process. This is not a book on techniques; rather it is a book on the more important aspect of the principles behind surviving against an armed assault. Which, in my opinion, is far more important than the techniques themselves. That's not to imply that self-defense techniques are not important or valid, it simply means that the technique that may work for one person, may not work so well for another. However, the principle behind the use of the technique will generally work for everyone.
This book is so full of useful information that it should be required reading for not only the self-defense minded individual, but also those whose profession places them in situations where they are more apt to be confronted by an armed individual. This includes, but is no means limited to, law enforcement officers, security personnel, bouncers, paramedics, military personnel, etc.
Having worked as a law enforcement officer, bouncer, and provided security for various businesses and individuals over the years, I found quite a few things in Lawrence's book that I hadn't taken into consideration and am very glad that I had the opportunity to read it first instead of experiencing it in a bad way. As with any good book on the subject of self-defense, Lawrence promotes the use of awareness and avoidance as your primary and most important forms of defense over actual physical techniques. Smart and the hallmark of someone who knows what they are talking about.
Lawrence then delves into various scenarios throughout the book and ways of safely getting out of the situation you may find yourself in without resorting to a physical confrontation with your potential attacker. Some of which is so simple that I hadn't even considered them as options. Although after being presented with them I could see how effective they would and could be in certain situations.
This is followed with sections on using countervailing force and the ramifications of using such force such as; the physical and mental effects, moral implications and considerations, the possible legal ramifications of using force, etc. One point that Lawrence makes, and it is a very good one, is to always remember that the law enforcement officer that you may have to deal with is not your friend! Let me repeat that, the law enforcement officer that you may have to deal with is not your friend! Now Lawrence and I are both not saying that they are the enemy, it's just that you have to protect yourself at all times and the three best things to do are as follows:
1.Keep your mouth shut.
2.Contact your attorney.
3.Keep your mouth shut.
I was particularly fond of Lawrence's 9 rules to live by. Now I am not going to divulge them here, and since you will undoubtedly be purchasing this book after reading this and the other reviews, it will give you one of numerous things to look forward to when it arrives on your doorstep.
One particular section of note was the section related to the types of weapons you are most likely to encounter and how they function. This section is deserving of an entire volume on its own and perhaps Lawrence is working on that as I type this review and as you read it. Let us hope anyhow.
This book and the information contained within it should be a constant companion in your home library, and in the forefront of your mind whenever you are somewhere outside the confines and safety of your own home. On second thought, the information provided in this book should probably be in the forefront of your mind even when you are at home. As Lawrence so profoundly states in this book, you never know when are going to be attacked, by whom, or what that person or persons will attack you with.
I highly recommend this book, "Surviving Armed Assaults," as well as, "The Way of Kata," and "Martial Arts Instruction" all by Lawrence A. Kane as valuable additions to your personal martial arts library.
Shawn Kovacich, martial artist/author of the Achieving Kicking Excellence series.
An outstanding addition any martial arts collection must have. February 8, 2007
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Surviving Armed Assaults: A Martial Artist's Guide to Weapons, Street Violence, & Countervailing Force gets to the heart of martial arts applications and safety issue, providing an entire book which focuses on proven survival skills, from awareness and avoidance to de-escalation tactics and countervailing force. In having more than just a collection of moves on hand, it encourages survival by all ways possible, making this an outstanding addition any martial arts collection must have.
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
If you want to reduce your risk of a violent encounter..."on that day"... December 2, 2006
12 out of 12 found this review helpful
If the title "Surviving Armed Assaults" catches your eye because your current situation causes you some concern that you might have to someday; I think buying Lawrence Kane's latest book would be money exceptionally well spent. Why? Within its 329 pages, you will find clearly written, easily understood, and also remembered, hard earned wisdom backed up by numerous real life depictions, and even some mistakes by experts. You could spend thousand of dollars and countless hours in class work and individual practice and yet not gain some of the insights that Kane provides. An example, from pages 133-135 on Verbal Judo, rings true to me as we use VJ extensively in my work with forensic psychiatry. Emphasis on situational awareness and avoidance is also well represented. As as I have written elsewhere in Loren Christensen's book "Warriors"... 'The Cost of It'... of taking a human life, even with justification, may carry with it a very high emotional price. Lawrence Kane provides more than enough well documented examples to help you avoid such a 'cost' for most of us out there "on the pointy end" of life. Read it, then periodically read it again, practice, maintain situational awareness and as necessary follow through via his excellent and comprehensive bibliography / web site data for further information as your personal situation dictates. And don't get hung up on the Japanese translatons or exotic weapons that are also covered primarily for the martial artist readers. You never know when you may meet a crazed person with a sword (page 248)... From my forensic experiences, I could tell you stories, but Kane does it better. Read and heed, you will be safer for doing so; even if you skip the keys defense, pages 238-39, which I, as other reviewers have mentioned, find inferior to a kubaton or the like. Be prepared, as this book may help you do so, and you should be safer "on that day"...
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